Louisville Zoo employee Miranda LaPardd (L) greets guest and lets them in and out at the Steller's Sea Eagles Aviary at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky. July 16, 2013

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A program funding the creation of summer jobs for young adults ages 16-21 allowed 1,500 individuals to find summer work this year, Mayor Greg Fischer announced Tuesday.

The unemployment rate nationally for teenagers was 24 percent last month, compared to the overall rate of 7 percent.

"The idea back when I was growing up in the 70s and the 80s that basically every teenager worked in the summer is no longer true," said Michael Gritton, executive director of KentuckianaWorks, which leads the SummerWorks program. "(SummerWorks) is important because kids learn something at work that they ...